COVID-19: China reports 3 new deaths

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - China on Wednesday said that three more people died due to the coronavirus in the country, while 62 others tested positive for the infection, 59 of them were imported.

A statement issued by China’s National health Commission said the three local cases were found in Shandong and Guangdong provinces.

Last midnight, China lifted the COVID-19 lockdown in Wuhan, where the infection was first reported, after 76 days.

The Chinese health officials said that 81,802 confirmed cases have been reported across the country since last December, while 3,333 people have died. Most of the cases and deaths were reported from Hubei.

As many as 77,279 patients were cured and released from hospitals.

The officials, however, said number of asymptomatic cases rose to 1,095 which include 358 imported cases.

In Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and in Taiwan, a total of 935 cases were reported.

Nine people, including four in Hong Kong, and five in Taiwan died due to the virus.

- Slowdown in South Korea

The number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea continued to slow down with around 50 more recorded for the third consecutive day on Tuesday.

However, the number of deceased due to the virus rose to 200, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea has a total of 10,384 coronavirus cases, while 6,776 patients have recovered from the disease, health officials said.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the virus has spread to at least 184 countries and regions, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than 1.43 million cases have been reported worldwide with the death toll more than 82,100 and nearly 301,500 recoveries.